Jordan set to qualify to U-16 Asian Championship

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-16 team plays Bahrain on Sunday in its last match at the qualifiers for the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Championship.

Playing in Group A, Jordan has technically secured qualification although it was held to a 0-0 draw by Uzbekistan on the weekend. It continued to lead on goal difference after it beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 in its opening match and Sri Lanka 7-0.

Uzbekistan is the other unbeaten team after it defeated Bahrain 1-0 and Sri Lanka 6-0. Saudi Arabia hammered Sri Lanka 10-0 and has the last match against Uzbekistan Sunday. Bahrain also beat Sri Lanka 6-0.

Organised by the AFC, and held once every two years for Asian U-16 teams, the competition also serves as a qualification tournament for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top 4 countries qualifying. 

Iraq is the reigning champ. Since the event kicked off in 1995, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and Oman have each won the title twice. Qatar, Iran, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Iraq won once. Jordan failed to qualify to the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship 

Meanwhile, the U-19 men’s team hosted Iraq this week, losing twice 2-0 and 1-0 as it prepare for AFC U-19 Championship Group E qualifiers alongside Syria, Palestine and hosts Iran scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 8.

Jordan previously qualified to the Asian Championship four times and reached the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007. Jordan finished fourth in 2006, but exited the group stages in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters in 2012. Jordan failed to qualify to the 2014 Championship. 

On the other hand, the U-23 team which qualified to the 3rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship in 2018 also has the qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ahead.

In 2016, Jordan was eliminated from the quarter-finals of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship and lost a possible Olympic slot. In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship in 2014, Jordan took third place when it beat South Korea while Iraq won the title after defeating Saudi Arabia.

Jordan’s U-23 squad was eliminated from the 1st West Asian U-23 Championship in 2015, and in 2014 the line-up represented Jordan at the Asian Games where it made to the quarter-finals.